Knitting machine



G N U 0 Y o G KNITTING MACHINE l6 Sheefis-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 Filed Aug. 2. 1944 G. O. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE 16 sheets sheet 2 m w, 1949. G. o. YOUNG 2,480,175

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1944 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 A 30 G C KNITTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 2 1944 mi k O p Q 4.5

mg. 30, 1949. G. o. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 mmi L lh l ll Aug. 3U, 1949. G. o. YOUNG ,480,175

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1944 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 0 nicjlfi s Filed Au 1944 G. o. YOUNG KNITTING MACHIN 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 G. O. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 nxi g. m, 149. G. o. YOUNG 2,480,175

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1944 I 16 Sheets-Sheet l0 G N u 0 V.- 0 G KNITTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 "DEPTH? Filed Aug. 2, 1944 G. O. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet l2 .0 Yaw 0y,

G. O. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 'UL ILES Mg. 3U, 194-9. G, o, YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 G. O. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE 9 4 Ma 1 Q 3 l6 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 Aug. 3%, W49. G. o. YOUNG KNITTING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed Aug. 2, 1944 Patented Aug. 30, 1949 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 35 Claims.

My invention relates to knitting machines of the so called straight or Tricot type and it particularly has for its object to so improve the construction of such machines as will enable them to be run at high speeds efii-ciently.

Another object is to provide a machine in which the movements of the needles, the needle cooperating tongues, the sinker nibs are effected by eccentrics by virtue of which the inertia forces at high speeds are distributed over considerable surface areas.

A further object is to provide new and improved warp thread guide mounting and racking mechanism, sinker-nib mounting and operating means, needle and tongue mounting and operating mechanism, parts of which are interchangeable, thus reducing cost of manufacture and maintenance.

A still further object is to provide means for feeding a base cloth between the sinkers and the sinker nibs in a manner to keep it taut where the needles pass through and to advance the cloth with each stitch of the needles in timed relation to the needle and tongue operations so that the advancing of the cloth takes place while the needles and tongues are clear of the cloth.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention further resides in those novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will first be described in detail hereinafter and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a knitting machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the opposite end of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section showing a needle supporting and operating unit.

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view similar to Fig. 3 showing a tongue supporting and operating unit.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a tonguebar support.

Fig. 7 is a detail cross section showing a sinkernib supporting and operating unit and showing a sinker and its support in operative position with respect to the sinker nib,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a thread guide supporting and operating unit.

Fig. 9 is a detail top plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the unit shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the unit shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 14 is a front elevational view of the thread guide bar head and the parts carried thereby as well as the guide bar supporting means.

Fig. 15 is an assembly view of the units shown in Figs. 3, 5, 7 and 8.

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of a portion of the machine.

Fig. 17 is a detail view of a spring device for holding the pattern wheel-engaging rollers against the pattern wheels.

Fig, 18 is a detail view of the pattern wheels and the rollers and extension bars hereinafter specifically referred to.

Figs. 19*, 19 19, 19, 19 19 when joined on the lines AB, CD, E-F, GH, and. I-J, respectively, comprise a diagrammatic view of the relative positions at 20 intervals of the needles, the tongues, the sinkers and the thread guides through one cycle of operation.

Fig. 20 is a detail sectional view on the line 20-20 of Fig. 21.

Fig. 21 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 20.

Fig. 22 is a View similar to Fig. 8 of a modification hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 23 is a side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 22.

Fig. 24 is an enlarged detail front elevation of the mechanism for feeding the base cloth.

Fig. 25 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 26 is a detail section on the line 2626 of Fig. 25.

Fig. 27 is a detail view of the cloth feed roll connecting drive.

Fig. 28 is a detail perspective view of one of the thread guides.

Fig. 29 is a detail sectional view hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

Mounted in suitable bearings in the frame I of the machine are two eccentric carrying shafts 2 and M which are connected together, to turn in unison by means of worms I54, and worms I55 on a counter shaft I56 mounted in suitable bearings I51 (see Fig. 2). Pipes or shafts 3, 3', III and IE8 ar secured rigidly in the frame I in any suit- 3 able way. The pipes 3, 3, and shafts 2 and I4 lie parallel to one another. The shaft 2 is the first motion shaft of the machine and from which all other parts are driven.

Mounted on the shaft 2 and pipe I68 are two or more, suitably spaced, needle-carrying and operating units one of which is clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 18 to which reference is now made. Each needle-carrying and operating unit includes a needle plunger guide 4 having bearing bushings 5. The guide 4 is adjustably secured to a support 23 by cap screws and nuts 6 and 8, and Washers I and 9, the screws passing through slots I8 in the guide 4. The support 23 is mounted on the pipe I68 and secured rigidly thereto by set screws II. Mounted on and adjustably secured to the shaft 2 is an inner eccentric I2, adjustably secured by set screws I4, and an outer eccentric I3 which is adjustably secured to the inner eccentric I2 by means of set screws I5. A connecting rod I6 has a cap Il secured to it by bolts I8 with nuts I9 and its bearing portion is bushed as at I6 The connecting rod I6 is bored to receive a bushing 22 and a hollow pin 28, the latter being secured in the furcations of a wrist pin housing 24 by means of a set screw 2|. Screwed into the wrist pin housing is a hollow shaft or plunger 25, which is securely held to the said housing 24 by a nut 27, lock washer 26 and set screw 28. The shaft passes up through the bushings 5. At its upper end it carries a needle bar support 29 that is screwed onto the shaft end and held in place by a nut 3| and lock washer 30. A needle bar 32 is secured to two or more needle bar supports 29 and extends along the length of the machine parallel to the shaft 2 and pipe I68. The needles 34, as is customary, are held in lead heads 33, the leads being secured in place on the bars 32 by cap screws 35 and nuts 36.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 11 wherein is shown one of the tongue carrying and operating units, it will be seen that an inner eccentric 31 is adjustably secured to the shaft 2 by set screws 39; an outer eccentric 38 is adjustably secured to the inner eccentric by set screws 48. A connecting rod 4| has a cap 4P which is secured by bolts and nuts 4I the bearing face having a bushing 4|. The connecting rod 4| is bored and bushed as at 43 to fit the hollow wrist pin 42. The wrist pin 42 is secured in the furcations of a wrist pin housing 46 by means of a set screw 45. Threaded into the wrist pin housing 46 and secured by a nut 47, lock washer 48 and set screw 49 is a hollow shaft 51 that passes through bearing bushings 58 in a tongue-plunger guide 58. The guide 58 is adjustably secured to a tongue-plunger guide support 56 by cap screws 5|, 52 with nuts, and washers 53, 54, the screws passing through slots 55 in the guide 58. The tongue-plunger-guide support 56 is secured to the pipe I68 by set screws 56*. On the upper end of the hollow shaft or plunger 51 is screwed a tongue-bar support 68 which is rigidly held in place by a nut 58, lock washer 59 and set screw 6|. A tongue-bar 62 is secured to the supports 68 of two or more units by cap screws 63. The tongues 66 are mounted in leads through which the cap screws 64 pass and secure the leads rigidly to the tongue-bar 62. It will of course be understood that two or more of the tongue-supporting and operating units are employed in the machine.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 12 it will be observed that a sinker-nib-plunger guide 61 is adjustably secured to a sinker-nib-plunger-guide support 68 by cap screws I8 with nuts, and washers 'II, the screws passing through slots I2 in the guide 61. The support 68 is secured by set screws 69 to the pipe 3. The guide 61 has bushings I3 in which the hollow shaft or plunger 89 moves. An inner eccentric I5 is secured, adjustably, to the shaft I4 by set screws 17, while an outer eccentric 76 is adjustably secured to the inner eccentri "I5 by set screws I8. A connecting rod I9 has a cap 88 secured to it by bolts and nuts 8|. A wrist pin housing 82 carries a hollow wrist pin 83 on which the connecting rod is hinged. The pin 83 is secured in the furcations of the housing 82 by a set screw 85, the connecting rod I9 being bushed as at 84.

The plunger 89 is screwed into the housing 82 and is secured by a nut 86, lock washer 87 and set screw 88. A sinker-nib-bar support 92 is screwed on the forward end of the plunger 89 (hollow shaft) and secured by a nut 98, lock washer 9| and set screw 93.

The sinker-nib-bar 94 is secured to the supports 92 of two or more units by bolts and nuts 95. The sinker-nib leads 96 are secured to the bar 92 by bolts and nuts 98. The sinker-nib blades 97 are set in the leads 96 in the usual way. The sinker-nib leads 96 and the sinker-nib blades 91 comprise the sinker-nibs later referred to.

As shown in Fig. 7, the sinkers I'I3 are mounted on a sinker bar III that is attached at I'I2 to a sinker-bar support I69 that is fastened at I'I8 to the stationary guide 4.

Referring now to Figs. 8, 9, l3, and 15 it will be seen that on the pipe 3 is secured, by set screws IN, a thread-guide-plunger-guide support I88, to which a thread-guide-plunger guide 99 is adjustably secured by cap screws I 82 with nuts, and washers I83, the screws passing through slots I84 in the plunger guide 99. The guide 99 has bushings I in which the hollow shaft or plunger I28 moves.

Secured to the shaft I4 by set screws II6 are cams I86. Fastened by set screws I88 on pipe I I is a sliding roller-carriage support I81 having a slideway I89 and cap plate II8. A roller carriage slides in the way I89 and carries rollers |I4 which are mounted on studs H3 and engage the cams I86. The studs pass through slots in the carriage H2 and are secured by nuts H5.

The plunger I28 is screwed into the carriage H2 and is secured by a nut IIT, lock washer H8 and set screw I I9. The other end of the plunger is screwed into a guide-bar support I23 which is secured by a nut I2I, lock washer I22 and set screw I26.

A guide-bar head comprising a front and a back element or member I24 connected by a bridge bar I58, is secured to the support I23 by cap screws I25. The front and back members I24 of the guide-bar head have bushed bearings I35 to ride on pins I32 carried by guide-bar-slider plates I29 and I38, and secured by set screws I33. The slider plates I29, I38 are tightly but adjustably secured to a spacer I28 by cap screws I3I which pass through slots I34 in the spacer I28. The spacers I28 are secured to guide-bar-headsupporting shafts I21 by set screws I28 The shafts I27 are fixedly mounted in and secured in the frame I of the machine.

The guide-bar head has its front and back members I24 fitted with bearing bushings I42 for the guide-bar-racking shafts I36 to slide in. A

guide-bar slider I31 is adjustably secured to each shaft I36 by cap screws I39 and adjusting spacers I38. The sliders I31 have bushed bearings I4I to receive the slider pins I48 which are securely mounted on the heads I24 and prevent swivelling of the shafts I36.

I43 designates the thread guide bars, one of which is mounted on each shaft I36 by means of spacers I44 and cap screws I45. The guide bars I43 are cut-away in order to pass the members I24 the cuts being long enough to allow racking of the bars. Thread guides I49 have their leads I46 secured to the guide bars I43 by screws I41 carrying washers I48.

The guide-bar head I24 has its members provided with lubricant holding pockets I5I from which oil ducts I52 lead to the bushed bearings I35, covers I53 being provided for the pockets I5I as best shown in Fig. 14.

The guides I49 are preferably provided with grooves I49 I49 in which the thread may lie to eliminate danger of the needle hook snagging the thread during the movements of the guides from front to back and vice versa.

Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that one end of each shaft 2 and 14 has a worm I54 cut in it. The worms I54 mesh with worms I55 on a counter shaft I56 that is journalled in suitable bearings I51 on one end frame I. Thus the two shafts 2 and 14 turn in unison and at the same I58 in which, and in a bearing I60 mounted on an arm I59, is a short shaft I6I. The arm I59 is secured to the pipe 3. A spur gear I62 is secured to the shaft I6I and meshes with a spur gear I63 on the shaft 14. The shaft I6I also carries a worm I64 which meshes with a worm gear I61 on a pattern wheel shaft I66. The shaft I66 is journalled in suitable bearing brackets I65 that are mounted on the end frame I.

The pattern wheels I14 and I18 are mounted on split hubs I15 and I19, respectively, through which, and a suitable spacer I11 the shaft I66 passes (see Fig. 18). The pattern wheels are secured in place on the shaft I66 by nuts I16, I88, respectively. Thrust collars I8I prevent the shaft I66 moving endwise while the machine is in operation. A drip .pan I95 is provided heneath the pattern wheels as shown.

As best shown in Figs. 16 and 18, each guide bar I36 has a forked extension I96 to which the guide bar is adjustably connected by a right and left threaded bolt I91. In the forks I98 of these extensions I96 are pins 280 on which are rollers I99 that are pressed continuously against the pattern cams by springs 282 (see Figs. 2 and 17) attached to the guide-bar arms 28I and secured to an end frame I as at 203.

The frames I have bearings I for the shafts 284 and bearings I for the shafts 285. The thread from the beams 286 passes over guide rods 262 of spring tension devices of known construction.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 15, 24, 25, 26 and 2'1, it will be seen that I have provided a new and improved means for feeding the base cl-oth B. C. forwardly step-by-step the very small distances required between each needle operation to ensure a uniform spacing of the stitches through the base cloth. As the cloth feeding rolls I81 and I 88 must be turned only a very short distance with each operation of the needles it has been found almost impossible to effect this turning operation by direct gear drive between the main shaft of the machine and the cloth feeding rolls and I have therefore devised the cloth feed ing mechanism now to be described.

The base cloth roll I84 has its shaft I83 mounted in saddle bearings I82 (Fig. 1). The base cloth passes around guide rolls I86 to the clothfeed rolls I81, I88 and from thence to the takeup roll I89 which is carried by brackets I98. The rolls I88 are connected by the chain I92 passing over sprockets I9I.

In the figures of the drawing last above referred to, I93 indicates an extension bracket which is mounted firmly on the end frame I by cap screws I94. Mounted in a bearing 208 that is secured to the bracket I93 by bolts 289 is an auxilliary cam shaft 281. The shaft 281 is held against longitudinal or axial movement by a collar 2I2 at one end and by a cam wheel 2I4 that is secured to its other end. A set screw 2I3 holds the collar in place while another set screw 2I4 holds the cam wheel to the shaft. A bearing cap 2 l8, held in place by cap screws 2I I, completes the bearing for the shaft 201.

Fastened by countersunk screws 2I1 on the back of the cam wheel 2I4 is a slotted cam arm 2 I6.

A short shaft 2 I8 is mounted in a bearing 2I8 in the main frame I and carries a slotted crank arm 222 and a gear 2I9. The gear 2I9 meshes with an idler gear 228 that in turn meshes with a gear 22I on the main shaft 2 of the machine. A slide 223, having a stub shaft 224 mounted to turn in a bearing 221 in the arm 222, operates in the slot of arm 2I6. A washer 225 and cotter pin 226 serve to hold the stub shaft 224 in place.

Pivotally mounted on a stationary shaft 228 is an arm 232. The arm is held on the shaft 228 by means of a collar 23I, washer 229 and cotter pin 230. A cam roller 235, rotatable on a pin 232 that is secured to the end of the arm 232 by a washer 233 and cotter pin 234, rides in the cam groove 2I5. An eccentric arm 236 is pivoted at 231 to the arm 232 and carries a connecting pin 238 having a roller 239 that works in a slot 252 in an arm 25I later again referred to. The arm 236 is connected adjustably with arm 232 by a slotted link 248 and bolts and nuts 24I and 243, the bolt 243 passing through the slot 242 in the link 240.

Secured to the main frame I by cap screws 241 is a stationary ring 246 that carries th stationaryclutch member 248. A clutch raceway 244 receives the member 248 and also receives a second clutch member 249, the latter being secured to a movable ring 250. The shaft of the cloth feed roller I88 passes through the several elements 246, 248, 249 and 258 and carries a collar 26I which holds these elements assembled. A set screw 245 secures the raceway 244 to the shaft I68 (see Fig. 25). The movable ring 258 carries the arm 25I hereinbefore referred to. The arm 25I has an oil groove which communicates with the slot 252 by means of a series of ducts 253. Rollers 254 operatively connect the raceway 244 with respective clutch members 248 and 249 and are held in operative position by spring pressed centering pins 255.

An oil pan 255 is mounted on the bracket I93.

As the shaft 2 I8 is turned the crank arm 222 will turn the cam wheel 2I4 which wheel in turn will rock the arm 232 on its pivot 228. As arm 232 and arm 236 are rigidly connected together by link 240, the rocking motion of arm 232 is transmitted to arm 25I which is in turn rocked on the axis of the roller I88. Movement of the arm 25I in one direction only is imparted to the clutch raceway 244 and consequently to the roller I88. Clutch 249, 254, 244 (Fig. 26) operates only in one direction while clutch 248, 254, 244 operates as a back check device only. By shifting the connection 243 with link 240 the angle between arms 232 and 236 can be changed to vary the length of the cloth steps of movement as may be desired.

The pair of rolls I88 are connected together by a sprocket and chain connection I92 as shown in Fig. 27, so as to keep the cloth taut where it passes over the sinkers.

Instead of using tubular shafts or rods I36 for racking the thread guides, the guide-bar-heads I24 (see Figs. 22 and 23) may have dove-tail slots 25! in which the dove-tails 259 of blocks 258 slide. Spacers 268 are provided between the blocks 258 and the guide bars I43 In this modification the extension members I96 are connected to the end blocks 258 at one end of the machine and the springs 202 are attached to the end blocks 258 at the other end of the machine. In Figs. 22 and 23 those parts which correspond to similar parts in the preceding figures bear the same reference numbers plus the index letter a.

Referring now to Fig. 19 (composed of Figs. 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E, and 19F) it will be seen that Fig. 19 diagrammatically illustrates the movements and relative positions of the needles, the tongues, the sinker-nibs and the thread guides. The sinkers are stationary. At position the needles will have reached the upward limit of their strokes and for an instant are motionless; the tongues will be moving upwardly; the sinker-nibs will be moving back or receding. The thread guides are in back of the needles and are racked during the first 20 interval.

As the parts move from the 0 position toward the 20 position (Fig. 19A) the needles are moving down, the tongues are moving (at a slower linear speed than the needles) upwardly, the sinker-nibs are receding and the thread guides (having racked) are moving toward the front (left to right in Fig. 19A) of the needles. These movements continue until the 40 position is reached at which time the tongues will have reached the upper limit of their movements and have momentarily come to rest. In passing from the 40 position though the 60 position to the 80 position, the downward movements of the needles and tongues continue, the rearward movement of the sinker-nibs comes to an end by the time the 80 position is reached, this being the dead center point of the eccentric. The nib then starts to move towards the right and at the 100 position is the same distance from the center line of the needle as it was in the 60 position.

The downward movement of the tongues from the 40 position is at a slower rate than that of the needles. In passing from position 80 (Fig. 193) the needles hook both threads and by the time position 100 is reached the tongues will have closed the hooks of the needles. In passing from the 100 position to the 120 position, the needles will draw the threads through the previously formed loops and the previously formed loops will be knocked over. Also the sinker-nibs will be moving forward. The downward movements of the needles and tongues continue (the needles moving faster than the tongues) until the 180 position is reached, at which time the needles will have reached their lowest point and will thereafter begin to rise again. The sinker-nibs continue to move forward from position to position 260.

The thread guides rack, at position in back of the needles. The racking may be extended over approximately 35 which is a decided advantage in a high speed machine.

In passing from the 120 position the sinkernibs advance between the threads to hold down the cast off loop (Figs. 19C, 19D).

On leaving position the needles move upward while the tongues continue downward at a slower speed until position 220 is reached, at which time the tongues will have reached the lower limit of their movement and momentarily come to rest. The thread guides remain substantially at rest from position 100 to position 260. The sinker-nibs reach their farthest forward position at 260. The needles and tongues (the needles moving faster than the tongues) continue moving upwardly.

After passing position 260 the thread guides start on their rearward journey, passing the needles on the opposite sides thereof than they did when the guides moved forwardly. From position 260 the sinker-nibs move backwardly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a complete cycle of the needles is from position 0 through position 180 to position 360 (0); a complete cycle of the tongues is from position 40 through position 120 to the starting position again; a complete cycle of the sinker-nibs is from position 80 though position 260 to position 80; while a complete cycle of the thread guides is from position 0 through position 180 to position 0 again.

In the diagrammatic Figure 19 no base cloth is indicated as this figure is intended to illustrate the knitting function per se.

It can be seen from Figures 19A through 19D that the machine can be used as a straight tricot knitting machine. If it is found that the pointed needle (which is necessary when knitting through base cloth) presents difficulties, as far as knock over etc. are concerned, it may be replaced with a needle that has no point.

When knitting through a base cloth or any other material that may be penetrated with a needle, it is necessary to have the needle pointed, as shown, in order to facilitate this penetrating process. The position of the loops on the top of the base material, which will lie between the stationary sinkers and the movable nibs, will depend only on whether the base material is moving or is stationary. Figures 19A to 19D show the ap proximate position of the knitted loops when no base material is used, which is the case when operating as a straight tricot machine.

Fabric such as that disclosed, for example, in the patent to Roy C. Amidon #2,136,368, issued November 15, 1938, may be knit by the machine of my present application.

During the time the needles are below the base cloth B. C., the arm 25I is rocked one up stroke to advance the cloth one step, i. e. as soon as the needles reach position 120 in Fig. 19C. During the remainder of the cycle of the needles the shafts l'88 remain stationary and no advance of the base cloth takes place.

The complete fabric take-up or receiving roll I89 may be operated by the usual pulley, rope and 

